Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-24
A DAY IN GLOUCESTER.
A VISIT TO The GREATEST OF
AMERICAS FISHING PORTS.

A Quaint Old Massachuscti. Town. Where
Men Are Hard Workers and Women Arc
Handsome, straight and strong-Ths
Foreign Element.
While q city Of score or more thou-
sand inhabitants, old Gloucester straggles
and scatters over her crags and hills de-
lightful'y. No American city have ever
visited possesses SO many pretty spots
made bv angles, curves and sudden turns
II streets. All these pleasant contiuences
Or deviations Of thoroughfares give char
ncterful groupings of homes or shops, and
each pleasant place is cozy little neigh
borhood of itself One long, sinuous
street trails here and there through the
town half way up the ragged rocks that
skirt the bay. Little streets and lanes
pop into this from the bluffs above or
Jump of abruptly to the wharves below
IN the most unexpected fashion On tho
one side are the square mansions OF the
olden families, standing sturdily under
gambrel roofs and tremendous chimneys,
and looking out upon those rows of noble
siius which are the glory of all New Eng
ot olden or later conceivable vocation
which suggests OF the sea is piled in mar
row lane, compact little court, or in the
.nd wharves.
THE WHOLE POPULATION.
But in this one long and crooked
thoroughfare the whole population,
fisher folk, shop folk. factory folk and
god fosh, all can he seen in q days time.
Il is the life artery to old Gloucester.
Wherever else any Of her affairs may
originate, they here receive their final dis
.ussion and settlement. You could ship
4 score Of crews for the banks, borrow .
nillion OF dollars, build a dozen vessels,
sargain for the whole output Of American
ssh, arrange all affairs Of municipal poll
lies or settle the local requirements Of re-
.igion and society in ten minutes here It
!. the Rialto of the quaint old seaport
Aud the muscle, brightness and merry
familiarity of fishermen and landsmen,
rich folk and common folk, give delight
..ul pictures not often found for study in
sur own country. Then, too. there Is q
r,,diiness and heartiness in the faces of
these people, all of whom live beside or
upon the sea, which is rare and note
worthy.
1t may not be so, but half imagine
that the rugged, hearty lives which have
come out OF centuries OF coutented toiling
upon and beside the sea are given mold
and type Of their own. In any event, in
no other American city can you find
such splendid men and women.
There is a free, ample grace In every
and pose OF these unletterei
nen that should win the artist here. And
nowhere in any land are there such types
II form and feature as may be seen iE
thousands Of these Gloucester maflens.
eyed, straight, withy, elastic ia
step, elated in carriage, perfect In form,
and with faces radiant in light and color,
Ent to Normandy, Tuscany or Seville need
painters go for types or inspiration, when
In unknown old Gloucester such wltchinG
maidens dwell.
The fishermen Of Gloucester are . noble
class Of men. l know something Of the
ways and character Of those Of Norway,
Yarmouth, Holland, Biscay and those Of
Cuba, the Bahamas and our own key
West AL these as whole are far more
picturesque. but are q sad and sOiden lot.
slaves to their toll, their superiors and T.
sloth and drunkenness. But at Gloucee
ter it is different You cannot find tie
world over the same number of men On
gagged in any arduous and daring voca-
ton so thoroughly men from birth to
death.
THE FOREIGN ELEMENT.
The large foreign element among the
Gloucester fishermen comprises the very
best of fishermen from other lands. They
are Canadians, from the lower provinces,
Swedes, Norwegians and Portuguese from
Faval in the Azores. The men from
Nes Brunswick, Nova Scotia and New
form goodly portion, and are
among the very best of Gloucester fisher
men and citizens They make excellent
shippers and are universally superb sea
men Those from Norway and Sweden,
usually seamen, are a hardy lot, and are
priced for the unvarying dependence
placed upon them. The Portuguese who,
along during the century, migrated from
Portugal 10 the Azores, have from time to
time come to New Bedford, Boston or
Salem, and finally have gradually settled
here. They occupy distinct portion Of
Gloucester known as Portuguese hill,"
are industrious, thrifty, sober, and own
neat cottage homes in their picturesque
little community.
So that from all these sources, there
having gathered here and become inbred
with the native population a variety Of
foreign peoples, the effect upon Gloucester
has been to furnish city of eonspicuously
character. Cnclannish races
having come; good health. good morals
and good purpose being predominant; the
incoming and blending Of blood having
for nearly two centuries, SO rr-
community exists here that,
aside from the interest attaching to tho
pursuit Of the oldest known industry Of
fishing, and to the innumerable varying
scenes and incidents Of coastwise life
rife with all sea lore and tokens, ! know
Of no American community SO worthy the
attention of those who pass lives in the
study Of social problems and Of the rela-
tions and the well being Of men.-Edgar
l.. Wakeman in New York Mail and Ex
press.